Chronic Liver Disease: Comparison of 4D Flow to 2D Flow MRI in the Portal Vein in Healthy Volunteers and Patients

Motivation: Flow parameters derived from 4D flow MRI may help detect cirrhosis and portal hypertension, but hemodynamic changes in fibrosis progression remains unclear. Goal(s): Compare 4D with standard 2D flow MRI for assessing portal hemodynamic changes in chronic liver disease (CLD) patients compared with healthy volunteers, and investigate correlations with MRE-derived liver stiffness. Approach: 18 healthy controls and 55 CLD patients underwent MRI at 3 T. Results: 4D flow MRI showed good consistency with 2D flow MRI but with a tendency of underestimation. Both flow modalities distinguished CLD patients from controls. Velocity was negatively correlated with liver stiffness in significant fibrosis and above. Impact: 4D flow MRI could serve as an alternative to 2D flow MRI for quantifying portal hemodynamics and may reflect vascular changes associated with fibrosis progression.